Till There Was You Read Online Free

the indicated door, Linc could feel Matt’s eyes watching him and knew Doug was still a little uncertain about letting him out after the display he’d shown last night.
    In the midst of relieving himself, Linc could just make out that Matt and Doug were having some type discussion. It was most likely about him, because their conversation ended abruptly the moment he reentered the room.
    “Listen, Sarge...I mean, Matt, I wasn’t intending to cause any trouble last night, but I am glad I was there to put a stop to it when it happened. The way they treated your sister, they fucking deserved it.”
    Matt rocked back in his chair, a slow creak filling the quiet room with his movement. “I’m prepared to forget it ever happened as long as it doesn’t happen again. We can’t have people taking the law into their own hands. Do we have an agreement?” Matt stood and held out his hand.
    Linc stood and gave a firm response to Matt’s outstretched hand. “Sure. As long as I never see them again, we won’t have a problem.”
    “I think the whole of Newsham will be happy to see the backs of those four.”
    “Then, I guess we have an understanding.”
    “I guess we do. How about a refill on that coffee? Maybe you can answer a few of those questions you weren’t in the mood for last night.”
    “Sorry, mate. If I don’t get home soon, the dog is going to rip the place apart.”
    Matt chuckled. “Figures.”
    Making small talk, they finalized paperwork and Matt returned Linc’s belongings, releasing him without charge.
    “Try to stay out of trouble,” Doug said to Linc’s back as he stepped toward the door.
    Linc turned back and smirked. “Only if you grow a pair, kid.” Then he pulled up the collar of his jacket and stepped out into the cold morning, only to run straight into Lily, who, if he didn’t know any better, seemed to be waiting for him.

Chapter 4
Friendship
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    I t wasn’t long after the first light of dawn that Lily had heard the phone ring, waking her from a light sleep. She bounced out of bed, toes curling from the cold of the floor despite the small gas fire that tried and failed to warm her room every night. Then she raced toward the kitchen in a desperate effort to get the call she knew was her brother. No one else would dare wake her this early.
    “Hello, who’s this?” Lily answered in a fake sleepy tone as she snatched up the phone.
    “Cut the crap, sis. I’ll be surprised if you slept much at all after last night,” Matt responded, his tone mocking.
    Lily thought of a hundred and one different things to say to her annoying brother, but went with her favorite and remained silent until the waiting got the better of him.
    “Listen, I don’t have long while your white knight’s out of the room. We aren’t charging him and he’ll be free to go as soon as we’re done with the paperwork.”
    “How long is that going to take?”
    “Ten minutes. Why?”
    Hanging up without responding always drove her brother crazy, but this time, Lily did so in her haste to get ready, not her usual sisterly teasing. She wanted to talk to the stranger who helped her last night. She wanted to thank him, and maybe offer him breakfast...she didn’t really know exactly what she was planning to do, only that she had a few minutes in which to do it.
    She practically ran back to her bedroom and threw on the first set of clothes she laid her hands on. Rushing for the door, she donned her jacket and boots, then picked up her keys. Giving her appearance a quick once over in the mirror, she almost fell over.
    Her bright green eyes were dark-rimmed and looked heavy from lack of sleep, her shoulder length blonde hair was sticking out all over the place, and in the corner of her mouth, was that—was that dried up drool?
    “Holy crap,” she moaned, racing to the bathroom to stand in front of the sink. She threw ice-cold water over her face and pulled her unruly hair into a tight ponytail. When